Huge Coral Reef Discovered Off The US Coast [Video]

Unbelievable discovery of a hidden coral reef off the US Coast.

These scientists are really in awe of their recent discovery of a huge deep sea coral reef system located about 160 miles off the coast of Charleston South Carolina at depth of about a half mile. The researchers observed extensive reefs consisting of deep-sea stony coral.

It is believed, based upon visual observations, that the reef could extend for as many as 85 linear miles. This was a new discovery and you can hear the excitement in their voices.

Scientists say it may have been growing on the ocean floor for as long as modern humans have been on the planet.

“This finding changes where we thought corals could exist off the East Coast,” Erik Cordes, a Temple University biology professor and the expedition's chief scientist, told The Washington Post.

“And the function of the reefs, in terms of recycling nutrients, is critical to fuel surface productivity and the fisheries we rely on.

“This discovery is already changing our predictive models for corals, This will undoubtedly lead to new discoveries in the region once we can digest all of the information. That will take months to years.”